Before getting a piercing, one question inevitably runs through your mind: How much is this going to hurt? A Google search will tell you that you're far from alone; that same question, or along the lines of it, has been asked nearly 18 million times before. The age-old inquiry probably hasn't stopped anyone from adding another gold stud to their constellation piercing — but still, we wonder.

Los Angeles-based celebrity piercer Brian Keith Thompson tells us that he gets asked, "Is this going to hurt?" before almost every single appointment — regardless of whether he's working with a piercing virgin or full-body pro, because pain is relative. Similar to the elusive pain factorrevolving around tattoos, gauging exactly how uncomfortable it feels to get a piercing isn't possible until that sterilized needle penetrates your skin. Then, just like that, it's over. Within seconds you're checking out your new jewelry, too preoccupied by the result to think about how it actually felt... READ MORE